Chapter 3: Abnormal Acts, Unknown Facts, and Unsuccessful Pacts
Ron hadn't planned on committing any random acts of kindness that week, but
when he heard about Fred's operation, "Humiliate Malfoy.Again," he was
thrilled.
"Would I ever!" he exclaimed when George approached him with the idea.
"Great! I'm glad you can help," George said. He shook Ron's hand as if they
were in a business meeting.
George stood up and looked around. Ron heard him mutter something. "What
are you looking for?" he asked.
"I'm looking for Harry."
"Why?"
"Well, Ron, you don't really think we can rely on you to handle such a
task, do you? We need backup!"
Ron opened his mouth to protest, but he couldn't find the right words.
"Close your mouth, Ron. You don't want the flies to come in," said George.
"Shut up, will you?" Ron managed to say. He shifted his position in the
armchair he was on.
George's face turned serious, something Ron hadn't seen happen since his
O.W.L.s, yet still there was that twinkle of mischief in his eye and that
slight curve in his lips revealing the imp that was George. "Where's
Harry?" he asked, sounding more questioning rather than demanding.
Ah, he tries so hard, Ron thought. "He's over there with Hermione," he
said, pointing to the area around the fireplace.
"Thanks- but why aren't you over there with them.did you all have a fight?"
George asked, still keeping his mock serious _expression.
"No, George, we did not," Ron said hotly.
"Then go over there with me?" George suggested, extending his hand.
"No, that's okay," he replied, declining the offer.
"Fine." George turned to walk away, but Ron stopped him. Harry and Hermione
had already ditched him; he needed someone who would give him the time of
day.
"Wait, George." He paused for a second; he was trying to remember what he
wanted to ask. "Um, what is this thing you guys are planning for Malfoy?"
"I don't know, Ron. I just found out this morning. Don't worry, though.
Ferret-Boy's going to get what's coming to him." And with that, George's
mask fell off and the evil look in his eye and his malicious smile
returned.
Thank goodness.
******
George made his way across the common room. He already had Fred, Lee, Ron
and himself, but for some reason Fred wanted more people. Who better to ask
than good old Harry and friend, Hermione? He tiptoed behind the armchairs
the two were sitting in. Apparently, they were studying.
George took a breath and yelled, "Boo!"
The two yelped as they jumped out their seats. "What on earth.?" came the voice of Harry. George made an attempt to suppress the laughter wanting to escape him.no luck. The two obviously heard him and turned around. "George!" Hermione exclaimed in her usual angry, but helpless, whine. "What is your problem?" "I'm not George," said George. "How would you know I'm George?" Harry pointed to George's sweater. "There's a letter 'G' on your sweater." "Ar! My plans, foiled again by detective Harry- and Friend," George said contemptuously. "Humph," went Hermione. "Is there any reason why you decided to scare the living daylights out of us? I mean, Halloween was three weeks ago," Harry asked, crossing his arms. "What are you up to?" "Harry.Harry, my boy," George responded, slinging his arm around the green- eyed boy's shoulder. This was his way of destroying all seriousness in a situation. Manipulating the mind was as easy for him as it was easy for Percy to be a conceited busybody and a complete idiot at the same time. George knew better, though. He knew that you didn't have to be an idiot to be recognized as an extraordinary individual, but to simply have wit and cunning. "Since when have I given you reason to doubt my good-will? Hm?" Harry seemed to think about it for a second. He said, "Well, there was that one time when you t--" "Don't answer that!" he said quickly. "I thought we were friends! All I wanted was to ask you two of you a favor. A favor for the betterment of the school." "George, I don't think anything you ask of us would be for the betterment of the school," Hermione said disdainfully. George looked at Hermione and smiled. He knew she would be a tough one, but he still had Harry to ask. He would worry about her later. Although Harry was the quiet, innocent hero of Hogwarts who always unintentionally found himself in strange predicaments, George knew that there was that part of Harry that enjoyed the tension, the danger, and the mystery. "Harry, please, don't listen to her! I promise, this will make the school a more enjoyable environment!" "What is it, George? What are you talking about?" Harry seemed impatient. "A prank, Harry. What else?" "George." said Hermione. "What kind of prank?" A tone of interest entered Harry's voice. "That, my friend, is confidential." George hushed Harry as he was about to say something. ".but I can tell you that the Lord of the Ferrets is our target this time. "Malfoy?" Hermione asked sternly. Her voice surprised George, for he had forgotten she was there. "You're starting up trouble with him again, are you? Leave him alone. You'll only get yourselves into trouble." "Since when did you stick up for Malfoy?" Harry asked suddenly, sounding more like the Harry George knew. "Harry, on my list of things to do, defending Malfoy is at the bottom. I'm simply trying to keep you all out of trouble." Please Hermione, put a sock in it, George thought. "But Hermione, we get into trouble every day." "Exactly! So why get into more trouble than you will anyway?" George wondered that himself. Why did they constantly pull such foolish, pointless pranks on defenseless people like Draco Malfoy? They really didn't gain anything from it, except for a look of humiliation and a detention. So why do it? George really wasn't quite sure. To cover for his uncertainty, he answered, "Because it's fun!" Hermione closed her eyes and then she sighed heavily. "Thank you, George, for answering a rhetorical question." "Oh, Hermione, lighten up," Harry said. Hermione's eyes suddenly burst open and her jaw dropped. "Lighten up? At least I have a future! I'll be something great, while you all-" "Hey!" George said, taken aback by both of Hermione's egotistical responses. "I have a future. It may not be as an irritated, old librarian who has dreams of dictating the world, like you, but whatever my future should be it will suit me just fine. So you can just take your crappy little books, your smart comments and your know-it-all brain and shove it up your arse because I'm pretty sure that people care more about what becomes of that thick-headed cat of yours more than they do about your future!" George astounded himself. That wasn't like him. Why had he spoken such harsh words with great ease? It was as if he couldn't control it.. All faces were on him and even Ron, as much as he should have, couldn't say anything to defend her. Hermione gawked at George. Suddenly, the tension in her red face melted away and it became pale and lifeless. She picked up her books and parchment and turned toward the girls' dormitories. "Hermione?" Harry called. "Are you alright? What about our Potions project?" She stopped, but did not face him. "Just do your part," she said in a low, sullen voice. She continued to walk away. This made George very uncomfortable. "Are you with us, Harry?" he asked once Hermione was out of sight. Harry sighed heavily. "Yeah." "Good." George thought it best that he not give anyone a chance to confront him about his little outburst, so he fled upstairs. Getting Hermione to join their "team" was unsuccessful before it was even attempted. Perhaps what was needed was not wit and cunning, but actual respect.
The two yelped as they jumped out their seats. "What on earth.?" came the voice of Harry. George made an attempt to suppress the laughter wanting to escape him.no luck. The two obviously heard him and turned around. "George!" Hermione exclaimed in her usual angry, but helpless, whine. "What is your problem?" "I'm not George," said George. "How would you know I'm George?" Harry pointed to George's sweater. "There's a letter 'G' on your sweater." "Ar! My plans, foiled again by detective Harry- and Friend," George said contemptuously. "Humph," went Hermione. "Is there any reason why you decided to scare the living daylights out of us? I mean, Halloween was three weeks ago," Harry asked, crossing his arms. "What are you up to?" "Harry.Harry, my boy," George responded, slinging his arm around the green- eyed boy's shoulder. This was his way of destroying all seriousness in a situation. Manipulating the mind was as easy for him as it was easy for Percy to be a conceited busybody and a complete idiot at the same time. George knew better, though. He knew that you didn't have to be an idiot to be recognized as an extraordinary individual, but to simply have wit and cunning. "Since when have I given you reason to doubt my good-will? Hm?" Harry seemed to think about it for a second. He said, "Well, there was that one time when you t--" "Don't answer that!" he said quickly. "I thought we were friends! All I wanted was to ask you two of you a favor. A favor for the betterment of the school." "George, I don't think anything you ask of us would be for the betterment of the school," Hermione said disdainfully. George looked at Hermione and smiled. He knew she would be a tough one, but he still had Harry to ask. He would worry about her later. Although Harry was the quiet, innocent hero of Hogwarts who always unintentionally found himself in strange predicaments, George knew that there was that part of Harry that enjoyed the tension, the danger, and the mystery. "Harry, please, don't listen to her! I promise, this will make the school a more enjoyable environment!" "What is it, George? What are you talking about?" Harry seemed impatient. "A prank, Harry. What else?" "George." said Hermione. "What kind of prank?" A tone of interest entered Harry's voice. "That, my friend, is confidential." George hushed Harry as he was about to say something. ".but I can tell you that the Lord of the Ferrets is our target this time. "Malfoy?" Hermione asked sternly. Her voice surprised George, for he had forgotten she was there. "You're starting up trouble with him again, are you? Leave him alone. You'll only get yourselves into trouble." "Since when did you stick up for Malfoy?" Harry asked suddenly, sounding more like the Harry George knew. "Harry, on my list of things to do, defending Malfoy is at the bottom. I'm simply trying to keep you all out of trouble." Please Hermione, put a sock in it, George thought. "But Hermione, we get into trouble every day." "Exactly! So why get into more trouble than you will anyway?" George wondered that himself. Why did they constantly pull such foolish, pointless pranks on defenseless people like Draco Malfoy? They really didn't gain anything from it, except for a look of humiliation and a detention. So why do it? George really wasn't quite sure. To cover for his uncertainty, he answered, "Because it's fun!" Hermione closed her eyes and then she sighed heavily. "Thank you, George, for answering a rhetorical question." "Oh, Hermione, lighten up," Harry said. Hermione's eyes suddenly burst open and her jaw dropped. "Lighten up? At least I have a future! I'll be something great, while you all-" "Hey!" George said, taken aback by both of Hermione's egotistical responses. "I have a future. It may not be as an irritated, old librarian who has dreams of dictating the world, like you, but whatever my future should be it will suit me just fine. So you can just take your crappy little books, your smart comments and your know-it-all brain and shove it up your arse because I'm pretty sure that people care more about what becomes of that thick-headed cat of yours more than they do about your future!" George astounded himself. That wasn't like him. Why had he spoken such harsh words with great ease? It was as if he couldn't control it.. All faces were on him and even Ron, as much as he should have, couldn't say anything to defend her. Hermione gawked at George. Suddenly, the tension in her red face melted away and it became pale and lifeless. She picked up her books and parchment and turned toward the girls' dormitories. "Hermione?" Harry called. "Are you alright? What about our Potions project?" She stopped, but did not face him. "Just do your part," she said in a low, sullen voice. She continued to walk away. This made George very uncomfortable. "Are you with us, Harry?" he asked once Hermione was out of sight. Harry sighed heavily. "Yeah." "Good." George thought it best that he not give anyone a chance to confront him about his little outburst, so he fled upstairs. Getting Hermione to join their "team" was unsuccessful before it was even attempted. Perhaps what was needed was not wit and cunning, but actual respect.